Matha Io Anann
by Andariel
Summary: After Boromir's fall to the orcs, Legolas makes a startling discovery and returns to Rivendell. New character introduction. PLEASE R/R!!!!!


Matha Io Anann  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Legolas cried silent, hidden tears as he watched the torn Aragorn lift Boromir into his arms. Even as he turned from the sight, he loaded an arrow into his bow. He heard it he smelled it. The rotten stench of orc. By the time his eyes saw the orc, his arrow was embedded deep into its skull. It fell silently, slowly, and he watched it with little fascination. Legolas started to turn back to Aragorn, but something stopped his. He lifted another arrow to his bow. The orc was moving. It heaved upwards, not seeming to be able to stand on its own. He saw dirt, no it was hair, caked with dirt and blood. Black hair appearing from beneath the orc. And...pointed ears. Elven ears. Legolas stood with his bow ready, unsure. The orc heaved again as the elf pulled herself from beneath it. He froze suddenly, his eyes locked into the gaze of bright emerald green ones, boring into him. 'A girl' he thought. "Please...help me..." she whispered. Her eyes fluttered and she collapsed into the muddy ground. Her left arm, jerked free from beneath the orc, flung forward, revealing a thin wrist bound in iron shackles and chains. He stood for a moment, unsure, his arrow pointed to the ground, his bow dropped as hr eyes met his. Legolas looked back at Aragorn, his eyes pleading. He could already hear the orcs, coming down through the forest towards them. Aragorn's gaze stood steady and Legolas turned away. In one swift moment, he went to the girl and swept her up into his arms. She fought, unconsciously, but he held her still. The orcs were coming, even Aragorn could hear them now. And as Gimle stepped into the clearing, Legolas lay the girl behind him and prepared his bow, shooting into their ranks as they appeared over the horizon. She stirred suddenly, and he turned to her. "Laicus dad" (lay down) he hissed quietly. She looked at him, confused and then to the advancing army. "Punga hi" (fight now) she whispered and lay back, her eyes fluttering closed once more. The orcs descended on them, growling acidly. Legolas kept shooting down their ranks, but they kept coming. So many thousands of them, hybrids. Orcs were mutated elves, ravaged by evil and darkness. But these, these things were insidious creatures of destruction and pure chaos. Even more mutated. And more cold-blooded. They cannot feel pain, cannot feel emotion or weakness. Or mercy. Legolas shuddered slightly. Even their appearance spoke of unknown torture and cruelty. He looked down at the elven girl behind him. 'A slave. A beautiful elven girl reduced to nothing more than these...things...slave. A plaything. A prisoner.' He thought, disgusted. As the first orc reached him. It was funny, he used to think, how in a battle everything seems slow motion. The action of his long knife slicing through the closest orc's stomach, like butter on bread. Simple, smooth. Fluid. And they kept coming, everything moved like they were underwater, his own actions faster than his opponents. Even Gimle and Aragorn behind him, seemed slow to respond. But, to them, it appeared that Legolas himself was moving with extraordinary speed. Aragorn shouted to him, but h couldn't hear him. The words were too slow too stretched out to comprehend. Then, his elven ears twitched, the acute senses of his people kicking in, and he heard her scream. And orc had gotten behind him. How, he knew not. Its clawed fist closed tightly around the chains, he ripped the girl from the ground, pulling her to her feet. She screamed out of sheer pain .. and terror. The orc, smiled evilly, and threw the girl ahead of him, leaping off into the forest. Legolas's eyes grew wide, and he ripped through a few more of the enemy without even acknowledging their existence. In his warped reality of slow motion, only one scene played in front of his eyes. She was being dragged through the forest by her wrists, her slim, pale body bouncing off every rock, bump, and hill on the uneven forest floor. He raised his sword above his head, ignoring even the pain that flashed through him as an orc claw mad contact. "A dat I honos o Rivendell." (And for the honor of Rivendell) he whispered. With a burst of speed he never knew was possible, he bounded after the orc. As he rounded a bend in the path, the orc vanished, but the girl lay before him. His ears heard the orc breathing, he could sense its presence and the presence of a trap. But she lay in the path before him and he went to her. AS he cradled her in his arms, sifting her slightly, the orc came behind him, a bow cocked. He knew it was there. Aragorn and Gimle came through the trees, having disposed of the last few orcs that had found them. They saw the orc advancing on Legolas and Gimle started to shout out a warning. But Aragorn clapped a hand across his mouth, stopping him. He shook his head quietly. Legolas's fingers tightened around the blade of his long knife, lying hidden in the grass before him. There was a spark in his eye that had not been there since the battle with the cave troll in the Mines of Morderno. A faint exhilaration of battle. In one movement, as fluid as water and so swift that a naked eye might blink and miss it, he lunged backwards, pushing the blade upwards...and slit the orc from naval to nose. He turned to Aragorn, those same silent, hidden tears in his eye. "I need a horse." He said simply. Aragorn nodded and left. Legolas sat with the girl n his arms, listening to the sound of her harsh breathing. She cried out as he touched her side, and threw back a bit of tunic. There was a deep gash, two actually, one in her left shoulder, and one in her stomach. Her eyes fluttered open. Blood-shot and pale, it was obvious that a blade of Mordor had cut her. He pulled her close, warming her with himself. "Matha" (feel) he whispered. A loud whinny filled the clearing and Aragorn appeared, leading a wild mare. Legolas walked over to him. "Bene facis" (thank you) he said quietly. Aragorn nodded, and lifted the girl onto the horse with him. Leaning over he whispered into the horse's ear. "Im curare e placere intendere nin a Rivendell." (I heed you please bring me to Rivendell) The horse nodded its head and whickered. "Naraer Aragorn."(Farewell Aragorn) He said quietly, taking the other's hand in his. Aragorn smiled. "We will go after Merry and Pippin. Namarie Legolas."(Goodbye Legolas) He said. Legolas smiled. Leaning into the horse, he cried out, "Noro lim! Equa noro lim"(Ride fast! Mare ride fast). And the horse raced off into the darkening forest, the two elves astride her backs. 


End file.
